Pages

25 June 2012

Two for One: Malcolm X

Hey, there, fellow readers and book lovers. I am so sorry for my absence. I haven't posted on here for nearly a year because I've been busy with school and what not. But here I am, for the time being. :)

Last semester, I took a history class on the American Civil Rights Movement. One of the texts for the class was Malcolm X's The Autobiography of Malcolm X. I've always liked Malcolm X, though I don't agree with him on many things, and this book just sealed my fascination with this enigmatic man. How can I not adore someone who destroyed their eyesight via reading, the same as I did? ;)

For those of you who don't know, Malcolm X had a chaotic childhood and ultimately ended up as a teen-aged hustler and robber before being sent off to prison. While there, he converted to the controversial Nation of Islam, eventually rising to a position of national prominence in the organization after his release. However, he eventually broke with the NOI and formed his own organization, shortly before his assassination in 1965 at the age of 39. He's often painted as the direct opposite of Martin Luther King--opposed to nonviolence in the civil rights movement, though the truth is quite a bit more complex. (As my professor pointed out, he advocated self-defense, not unprovoked violence, and was never once responsible for inciting race violence.) Regardless, X still remains a divisive subject almost fifty years after his death.

I think one reason I enjoyed this autobiography so much is its distinctive style. It was dictated to Alex Haley and, thus, X's inimitable oratory skills seem to leap off of the page.(Having come off of watching his speeches on YouTube, I could hear his voice in my head as I read.)

I also enjoyed the structure. This book was composed during shortly before and after X's break from the NOI. It could have turned into a polemic against the organization--and X does have a tendency to get a little preachy in spots--but the structure of the book prevents that. When Malcolm is committing petty crime in Boston and New York, you're along for the fun. He saves the moralizing for after he's realized the errors of ways. Therefore, when he comes to his senses in prison and decides to reform, the change is all the more palpable because he didn't spend the entire first section ranting about his mistakes. Likewise, X's break with the NOI is all the more powerful because the section where he talks about his time with the organization does not come with condemnations of it--he saves those for later.

Chances are, some parts of this book may offend you. Some of his statements on women and Jews left this Jewish girl scratching her head, but, overall, I highly recommend this insightful read. (First rule of history: taking historical subjects as they are, not as you want them to be.) This book is widely considered one of the most influential American autobiographies ever written and, in my opinion, it is well worth your time.

After finishing the book, I next tried Manning Marabel's biography X, in which he sheds more light on Malcolm X. This book is also controversial, for Marabel argues that X exaggerated and omitted facts in his landmark autobiography, a fact disputed by some of Malcolm X's family and supporters. Personally, I can see why they would argue with Manning, but I found his book compelling, and it didn't affect my admiration for X. Overall, I found the Marabel autobiography well-written and well-argued, though I did think the final few chapters seemed a bit more likely to generalize without corroborating evidence. This book is a mammoth--I polished it off on a class trip for my Civil Rights class--but, if you find yourself intrigued with Malcolm X, I think it's a great followup read to The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

~~~~~~~~~What's Next: I'm not sure. Right now, I am busy studying for the GRE, so I may not get a chance to read much in the next few weeks. I will try to post more reviews as soon as I can.
~~~~~~~~~~

On a different note, I have missed you guys! Let me know what you're up to. :)

Books I've Recently Read

To Read List

About This Blog

I'm going to be posting book reviews and recommendation lists on this blog. I'll be covering non-fiction, biographies, classic literature, genre fiction (especially mysteries, plus some fantasy and horror), and new books. I love to read many different categories of fiction - it doesn't matter to me what "genre" the book belongs to. If it interests me, I'll try it. I want to review books based on whether or not they're entertaining, not their use of symbolism or other literary concerns. I can honestly say that I've never heard another person tell me, "I couldn't put that book down - the symbolism was so enthralling!" I think the real realm of literature is to make us laugh, make us cry, make us think. That's what makes a good book to me. A book doesn't have to be a masterpiece for me to enjoy it: if it amuses, moves, or provokes me, I'll like it. My other main concern is the author's intent. If the book is supposed to be funny, and I'm laughing, how is this book less valid than one that is brilliant but dull? If the book is supposed to be touching, and I'm crying at the end, how is this book inferior to one that is superbly written but unmoving? Word of warning: There will be no rhyme or reason to the books I choose or the order I post them in. When I read it, I'll post it (regardless of how old the book is or what type of book it is.) In short: If I'm reading it, I'll be posting on it. I hope you enjoy my reviews! Oh! One final warning (this is starting to sound like a corny horror movie) - if I read one book and really like it, I'll probably go crazy and start binging on every book the author has ever written. Nerdy, am I not? :)

Favorite Books: Lord of the Flies, Hamlet, Rebecca, Murder of Roger Ackroyd; Eats, Shoots and Leaves; And Then There Were None, Northanger Abbey, The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, The Hunger Games series

Favorite Movies: Coen Brothers movies, Alfred Hitchcock (esp. The Trouble With Harry), comedies (Shaun of The Dead, Monty Python) historical films (Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford)